What is your Bass guitar progression?

[ctmullins]

Yamaha RBX200F - Tobias American 5 - homemade - homemade - homemade - homemade - Teisco violin bass - homemade - homemade - Ibanez Artcore - homemade - homemade - homemade - homemade

 

[Enden]

Ibanez Soundgear 4 string -> Ibanez 5 string -> ESP LTD 5 string -> Godin fretless/Xotic jazz 5 -> MLP 5 -> Roscoe Century 5....haven't replaced that since i got it 5 years ago. probably never will. Just purchased a Warwick fretless 6 this past week.

 

[cholyoke]

I switched from guitar to bass because the bands I was in needed a bassist and I mainly played rhythm guitar and "sang".

1988/89 - Aria Pro II XRB blue crackle finish, very metal, sold in 1990. Mediocre bass.

1992 - Fender MIM 1991 Precision, cover with stickers because metal. Loved it. Many battle scars from playing basements/clubs.

1995 - Rickenbacker 1977 Mapleglo 4001/3, sold in 2002 or so. Great bass, boat anchor. Everybody should own a Rick at some point.

2001 or so - Buy another Aria Pro XRB on ebay for cheap because I was being sentimental or just mental. Sold about a month afterwards.

2016 - Join Talkbass as I look at reviews of Fender Rumble amps and Fender Blacktop, add Steve Harris pickups and new pots/jack to 1991 Precision. Satisfied with modifications to 1991 Precision and new amplifier.

2018 - January - Buy Blacktop bass. Love jazz neck, bass very heavy. Swap jazz neck to 1991 Precision, light goes off. Read more about modifying/building basses on Talkbass. Order V-bass kit with no pickup/control cavity routing from Pitbull. Order new jazz neck and components to modify 1991 Precision to have double reverse P pickups. (Still waiting for HB7 tuners to arrive). Put jazz neck back on Blacktop bass.

2018 - February - buy 1996 Precision Lyte bass. Nice bass. Haven't bonded with it. Sell Blacktop bass (maybe early March). Notice that I have an extra precision bass neck from the 1991 Precision. Read about 4-2-5 conversion. Start looking for Precision bass body and ordering components for 4-2-5.

2018 - March - Buy great Precision body on Talkbass. Start planning 4-2-5 conversion while waiting for tuners for 1991 Precision to arrive. Realize I need a drill press and a good place to work. Build work benches and get drill press. Buy Seafoam Green 2016 Precision Deluxe from MF. What a great bass!

2018 - April - (yesterday!) Purchase Fender 2014 fretless Jazz bass because it was cheap and I wanted to play a fretless. Don't like the jazz bass w/flats sound very much. Put fretless jazz neck on Precision body I was going to use for the 4-2-5 conversion. Use Steve Harris pickups/electronics from 1991 Precision and string with the rounds I usually use. Fun to play! I really like this bass. Will use jazz body for 4-2-5 conversion. Need to order a Reggie Hamilton pickguard so I can put a Precision pickup in the neck position. I need a Precision pickup in the neck position, but like being able to mix in a bridge pickup.

So I have three functional basses, one of which I want to sell, two frankenbasses in progress and am waiting for the V-bass kit to arrive.

Thanks Talkbass!

 

[FirewalZ]

Outside of my learning/school years in the late 80's/90's...I'm the type who rarely buys gear and don't buy stuff to sell or flip. Bass wise, I wait for those rare finds that are lifetime keepers, several years may pass inbetween purchases.....I currently have 4.
1977 Fender Jazz
1986 MIJ Fender Jazz
1996 EBMM Stingray
2014 Honey Burst nitro Am. Special P bass.(this was the first one I bought since the Stingray in 96
All four are great basses that "have it"

 

[GrapeBass]

Fakenbacker (stolen) > Custom Made Kali-Koa (main bass for 30+ years) > Jasmine by Takemine fretless (mod) acoustic > Squier VM Fretless > Fender MIM FSR Jazz Bass

 

[Nephilymbass]

I started on a Washburn AB 20 and played that for about a year before I found a used Rickenbacker Jetglo in mint condition. I love the Ric, it might be my favorite.

After playing those two basses for about four years, I traded a 12 string Rickenbacker guitar for a Reverend Rumblefish in bug eye metal! Sweet bass! I played those three for about 15 or 16 years before I got a Thunderbird.

Then I went crazy and traded a Marshall stack and some synthesizers for a G & L ASAT bass. I call it the Blue Beast.

Finally, I aquired a U.S. Geddy Jazz last year. The neck is super sweet and it sounds awesome. It's very easy to play which is cool. All I need now to finish my collection is a P bass. I'm having a rough time talking my wife into it but I'm working on her.

What is your personal progression through the wonderful world of bass guitars? What bass did you start with and which one are you playing now? What bass will be the next one you buy?
Thanks for sharing your journey.

I'll try. Have pics of most of them. These pictures span from 14 years old to now at 36 years old.

Peavey fury 4 string

Fender mim p 4 string
Ibanez TR 5 string (yes TR not SR)

Warwick FNA 5 string

Musicman stingray sr5 (black)
Warwick thumb bo5

Musicman bongo 5
Warwick thumb nt5

Fender mim fretless Jazz
Conklin gt7 7 string

Musicman stingray sr5 (silver sparkle)

Sterling by Musicman ray 34cafl fretless

ESP ltd f-415

Esp ltd viper 404

Warwick thumb nt6

Dingwall ng2 5 (my current bass)

Currently in need of a backup but don't have much direction. Would love another dingwall but can't afford another one at the moment. I'll likely just go with a cheap but decent 5 I find a great deal on but I might hold out and get another dingwall ng2 or combustion 5. basses I'm considering; mim fender jazz 5 standard or deluxe(preferably deluxe because Id prefer a maple board), Ibanez 400 series and up, esp 400 series and up, maybe a G&L tribute series never owned a G&L because no omen in my area carries them but I'm very curious, maybe a warwick rockbass, peavey import cirrus, who knows.... backup will likely get coated rounds or maybe even flats to keep them more low maintenance. Not really looking for something to replace the dingwall at this point. Mainly a "just in case" backup in case I have a output jack issue or something at a gig.

 

[GretschWretch]

snicker...ever cross House Of The Rising Sun chords onto Amazing Grace lyrics?

That could work. Scary.

 

[GretschWretch]

I thought it was 419 other songs (think about it)....

Been thinkin'. Drawing a blank; you will have to clue me in.

 

[mpdd]

eb2 copy
grabber - played at over 100 hardcore shows in the 90s, sold to move to LA
vox clubman
highway one p
fender mij jazz
2011 sb-2
84 L2000 - still use and am currently setting up at work, best live tone i've found
sq bullet bass
84 squier mij jazz
94 LB 100 - still use and it has the nicest custom neck of any bass i've ever had and is great for recording
bacchus craft jazz
85 g&l lynx
2016 L2000

 

[sean_on_bass]

Started on a MIM Jazz, upgraded to a 5-string Spector for awhile, sold that and went back to my jazz..upgraded to a customer Carvin with some nice bells and whistles...hated it and went back to my jazz. Eventually bought a second Squier VM fretless jazz to go with my current, lol. Also now play an upright bass which the jazz can never replace. My next electric bass will likely be an american made fender of some sort, kind of want a PJ config bass. At the same time i would love to play around on a 6 string, but when your upright strings cost over $200 it limits your gear purchases.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Some noname Short scale
Yamaha BB300
Ibanez Axstar
BC Rich Mockingbird
Ibanez SR 500 (I think)
Some Rickenfaker (bought as a project bass)

25 year break

Hofner Ignition
Hofner V63 500/1 Fretless
Hofner Shorty
Hofner HCT 500/1 Cavern Spec.

 

[Duanestuermer]

Bought a pre-CBS P in the sixties, kept it into the 2000s, with a new neck, pickups, and bridge sometime in the late 80s. until it was stolen in around 2008.

Played a government issue P in Viet Nam
Had a bass custom built in the late 70s, which put the P as a backup .

Played the custom until last year, when the neck finally warped out beyond repair (with a 2 year hiatus when it was stolen, but bought it back, after it ended up in Hong Kong), after 35 years just bought the Ibanez fretless fretted.

Had a bunch of others (Gibsons, Fenders, a Ric, short scales, a 6er, etc), but in truth, they never were used much, because they never measured up.

 

[growlypants]

Music Man (before Ernie Ball)
Gibson Ripper
Alembic 5-string

* I have never owned a Fender Bass...

 

[superdick2112]

1980 - Started out on a Sears Silvertone Jazz Bass knock-off.
1982 - Graduated to an Ibanez MC924 Musician bass.
1985 - Present - Went through a search for "my sound", for "the perfect bass", and an extreme case of GAS, resulting in the purchase, trade & sale of over 200 basses.

The current toolbox;

Rickenbacker 4003 in Ruby Red
Spector USA NS-2 in Amber
Spector USA NS-4 in Black & Blue
Fender Adam Clayton Precision Bass in Purple Sparkle
Fender American Vintage '75 Jazz Bass in Natural Ash
Fender American Standard Precision Bass in Mystic Red
Fender MIM Classic 50's Precision Bass in 2-Color Sunburst
Fender MIJ FSR '75 Jazz Bass in Aged Candy Apple Red
Fender CIJ Geddy Lee Jazz Bass in Black
Hamer Chaparral 12-string Bass in Black
Neo Custom Acrylic Bass lit with real Green & Blue Neon
Fender Kingman acoustic bass guitar in Natural

 

[weedmanricker]

Yamaha rbx 270... dad bought me from pawn shop for birthday.

Squire Jazz 5, candy apple red. Bought myself used.

Trade Squire for Cort Action 5. Great bass.

Sold Yamaha for beer money for camping trip. Miss dearly, bad move.

Rickenbacker 4003... my favorite bass... bought brand new in 2007.

Trade Cort for Gibson Thunderbird.

Recieve Ibanez exotic woods acoustic 5 string from wife and brother for Christmas present.

Purchased a MIM Fender 5 String Jazz.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

First bass I ever played "professionally" was a borrowed Squier P bass. I then got a LTD bass for a very short time but both we're hand crampers so I traded the LTD for a Cort A4. Then I moved on to a pawn shop squier jazz. Then I joined Talkbass and things came apart . I picked up a MIM jazz bass from the classified section and a few more a long the way. I finally got me a Carvin B5 and that has been my main bass since. I have a couple of other Carvin basses that are in the rotation too. I'm pretty well satisfied with my stable.

BnB

 

[Somnambulance]

1. Ibanez Gio
2. Godylke Disciple 4 Prototype
*ripped the frets out of the Gio and now it's fretless
*ripped the preamp out of the Godlyke and put in a Rothstein JX5 preamp
3. Fender Japan 1966 reissue Jazz bass, use this one exclusively

I learned on the Ibanez Gio when I grew big enough to handle a standard scale bass, bought the Godlyke when I should have bought the Fender Japan, now I have the Fender Japan and the Godlyke and kind of want to flip am at a loss for how to go about that since it's a non-production version of a no longer produced obscure make and model with not enough preamp for all of its holes. whatever

 

[Element Zero]

Started with an Aria Pro II 4 string. Had that for 4 years and then sold it as part of a trade along with some cash for an Ibanez ATK 305. Played the crap out of the Ibanez for 18 years until I put it on semi-retired status when I got my first fretless 5. Now, barely over a year old, my Pedulla Pentabuzz get all the play time.

I am looking for fully retire the ATK at some point. I kinda want a 6 string fretted tuned F#-G, but for some reason I'm drawn incredibly to the Ibanez Cerro SRSC805. My wife and I are having our first baby in 5-ish weeks so all music related stuff is on hold.

 

[BooDoggie]

My first bass was a genuine vintage Fender 62 Jazz that I inherited from my father in 1972. It is the bass pictured in my avatar. Since it had already been repainted shortly after my father bought it, (He did not like the sunburst and painted it white with rattle can paint.) I painted it black with lacquer and "upgraded" it with a Badass II bridge, Bartolini Hi-A pickups, a white pickguard and a brass nut... Hey, it was the 70's so sue me...

I bought and played a used azureglo Rickenbacker 4080 briefly before losing it to a pawn shop in Dallas Texas around 1980.

In 1989 I bought a Fender active PJ in black which I had to sell in 2002 to buy food...

I have pictures, but I have so many images on 4 computers I can't find them right now...

 

[Teijo K.]

In the late eighties I started with a cheap Rickenbacker copy. It was horrible bass, difficult to play and weak sounding. Pretty soon I started making basses myself, and I mainly used diy up until 1998, when a friend gave me a six string bass as a gift to lure me in his band. That was my main bass for couple of years until I build a couple of six stringers myself. Last year I finally made it and bought a real original Rickenbacker 4003S. That basically meant a return to the four string bass. Pretty happy about it now.

 

[Siggy]

Started in '63/63 with a '62 Gibson Les Paul jr.
1964 I started playing Bass with a 62 EB-0